Improvement in folding rocking-chairs



E. TUCKER.

Folding Rocking-Chair.-

Patenred June 18, 1878..

MFETERS, PHOTO LITHO GR PHEFL WASHINGTON, DC.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EPHRAIM TUCKER, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO EDWARD W. VAILL, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN FOLDING ROCKING-CHAIRS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 205,015, dated June 18,1878; application filed March 15, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EPHRAIM TUCKER, of Worcester, in the State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Folding Rocking-Chairs, of which the following is a specification In United States Letters Patent No. 179,980, granted to J. E. Wakefield, a rocking-chair is shown with the back-frame extending down to the rockers and united by L-shaped links, and the seat-frame jointed to the back leg, and held by links that suspend such seatframe from the front legs; and in the United States Patent No. 179,920, granted E. C. Holton, the seat-frame is pivoted to the rockers; but the links are connected to a cross-piece that supports the seat-frame. Both these patents were assigned to E. \V. Vaill, who is also the assignee of the present invention.

My invention consists in the combination, in a folding rocking-chair, of rockers pivoted at the sides of the front legs, a back-frame composed of cross-rails and side pieces, to which latter the front legs are pivoted, a seatframe, forming also the back legs, which frame is hinged to the lower ends of the backframe and united by links to the rockers, and suspending-links from the front legs to support the seat-frames.

By this construction the seat-frame intervenes between the lower ends of the backframe and the rockers, and rests directly upon the rockers, so that the parts are all in the same plane, and the rockers fold at one side of the back-frame, and the seat-frame folds at the other side of the back-frame, and the front legs are outside of the other parts, and the seatframe takes its bearing upon the rocker, and the parts are so proportioned that the chair folds into a very small compass, and is very firm and rigid when the same is opened out for use. v

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a front elevation. Fig. 2 is a section as opened out for use, and Fig. 3 is a side view of the rocking-chair as folded.

The rockers a are united by the cross-rail b, and the side pieces 0 are united by the crossrails d to form the back-frame, and this frame may be more or less ornamental or upholstored.

The seat-frame is composed of the side pieces 0, rail f, and seat-bearer g, and the plates h and pivotsi serve to unite the seatframe 6 to the lower ends of the back-frame a, so that the seat-frame folds up against the front of the back-frame and in line therewith.

The rockers a are beneath the lower ends of the seat-frame e, said portion of the seatframe forming the back legs and resting directly upon the rockers. The bell-crank-or L-shaped links I are attached at their ends by pivot pins or screws to the rockers and the back legs, respectively, in a somewhat similar manner to those in aforesaid Letters Patent No. 179,980. These rockers fold up behind the side pieces 0 of the back-frame.

The front legs a are outside of the rockers, and pivoted at o to the same, and at their upper ends 8 to the back 0.

The links t are pivoted at their upper ends to the inner surfaces of the front legs and at their lower ends to the seat-frame, and they suspend said seat-frame when the chair is in use, and when the chair is being folded they swing upward and describe nearly a half-circle as the seat-frame closes toward the back, and the front legs swing into line, or nearly so, with the back-frame.

The seat may be either flexible or rigid, and it is supported by the bearers g and c. When a flexible seat is used the tension thereof tends to keep the parts in position when unfolded for use.

I claim as my invention The combination, in a folding rocking-chair, of rockers a and front legs a, pivoted together, a back-frame, c d, pivoted to the upper ends of the front legs, a seat-frame, c, intervening between the rocker and the lower ends of the back-frame, and forming the back legs, hingeplates h, connecting the back legs and lower ends of the back-frame, links 1, connecting the back-frame and rockers, and links it, pivoted at their upper ends to the front legs and at their lower ends to the seat-frame, so as to support the same, substantially as set forth.

Signed by me this 9th day of March, 1878.

EPHRAIM TUCKER.

Witnesses S. B. I. GODDARD, GEo. E. SMITH. 

